Something
by LoveIsAllYouNeed828
Summary: Paire, AU. Darker Future Fic. After one fateful Thanksgiving night, Peter runs away from his problems. He returns five years later, but things have changed, and so has Claire.
1. Chapter 1

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The title comes from the Beatles song "Something". Read the lyrics, if you'd like.

**_My current soundtrack for writing is the "Across the Universe" soundtrack. (If you haven't heard it, pick it up. You WON'T regret it!)_**

**_What You Need To Know For This Story:_**

**_It starts about 3 years after Season 2. _**

**_Peter and Claire ARE related! (If you don't like the incestuous angle, move along. No hard feelings. I REALLY don't want to hear any crap from anyone!)_**

**_There IS West in this story. I'm sorry, I know he generally isn't liked in the Paire community, and in most communities, actually. But he is CENTRAL to this story!_**

**_After the introduction, it jumps approximately 5 years into the future._**

**_During the introduction, Claire is living in Costa Verde. _**

**_I think that's all the basic info you'll need!_**

**_As always, I look forward to hearing your feedback!_**

**_WARNING! This first scene gets a tad risque. It MAY be bordering on M, but it's definitely not all the way there._**

_Years of pent-up feelings, seemingly innocent hugs and cheek-touches, it all came spilling out one Thanksgiving night._

The maids were cleaning up, washing dishes and trying to scrub stains out of the tablecloth.

Nathan had retired to his office and his nightly glass of scotch, and Heidi had taken the boys upstairs to prepare them for bed.

Angela had left hours earlier, saying that she had no desire to stuff herself like the turkey they had just eaten, and was too full for pie.

Claire was sitting in front of the fireplace, a half-eaten slice of pumpkin pie on the coffee table beside her.

Full to capacity, she wished she hadn't eaten so much.

* * *

That was how Peter found her.

Sprawled out on the sofa, her carefully pressed dress getting wrinkled, her neatly pinned hair beginning to come free of its bun.

"Hi."

Claire looked up at him, a smile spreading over her pretty features. "Hey, you."

She moved her legs to make room, and motioned for him to sit down.

He sank wearily to the sofa beside her, loosening his tie.

Claire leaned her head down to rest on his shoulder, staring into the blazing fire. "I've missed you, you know."

He smiled, sliding his arm around her shoulders so that she moved her head to rest against his chest. "I know, I've missed you too. How've you been? How's West?"

Claire closed her eyes. "We broke up. I thought Nathan would've told you."

Peter squeezed her shoulder. "He didn't. I'm sorry, Claire. You two were together for a long time…What happened?"

She sighed. "Typical West. I told him I wanted him to stop being so careless with his ability. He got pissed, told me I was being a controlling bitch. I'd had enough. It's okay, though. I never really loved him. He was just _somebody_, you know?"

Peter nodded slowly.

He studied her for a second, taking time to appreciate how lovely she looked.

Her dress was pale yellow, sleeveless, and fell to just above her knees.

It showed off her toned, tan legs, and he swallowed thickly.

"You look beautiful, by the way."

She smiled up at him. "Thanks. You look pretty good yourself."

It was quiet for a few minutes as they just sat their, enjoying eachother's company.

His thumb idly traced patterns on her arm, a comforting feeling for Claire.

She snuggled in closer to him. "How's your work with Mohinder going? Have you found anyone with cool powers lately?"

He nodded. "We found this guy the other day who can control the weather."

Her face lit up. "Cool! I think the work you do with Mohinder is so great…"

There was comfortable silence again, until Claire spoke up. "Dating anyone?"

The question surprised Peter.

While they'd always discussed Claire's personal life in great detail, never once had she inquired into his.

He shook his head. "Don't really have the time."

Claire nodded slowly. "I miss West. Well, more like I hate coming home to an empty apartment and an empty bed."

The 'empty bed' part made Peter cringe inwardly. "I know how you feel."

Claire giggled. "Maybe we should date then."

Peter stiffened.

Claire had obviously meant it as a joke, but…

Claire suddenly went still in his arms, as if what she'd said had just registered.

She sat up straight and turned to face him, blushing.

"Oh, Peter. I didn't…I mean, I…Not that I wouldn't…I…"

Peter put a finger to her lips. "Shh, it's okay Claire. I understand, believe me I do."

She tried to smile, and his eyes involuntarily fastened on her lips.

When his eyes darted back to hers, Claire looked strangely peaceful.

She reached up, running her fingers through his rapidly-growing hair.

"Your hair is getting longer…"

The air was thick as she traced his face with her fingers.

Peter reached up, catching her hand.

Her eyes widened as he brought her fingers to his lips in a gentle caress of a kiss.

"Peter…"

Her lips formed his name, but no sound came out.

He shook his head. "Don't. Don't speak."

With that, he lowered his mouth to hers.

In that moment, any doubt Claire had ever had about Peter's feelings for her melted away.

She responded quickly, parting her lips for his tongue, and wrapping her arms around his neck.

She tasted of the pumpkin pie she'd had for dessert, and Peter smiled against her lips.

She lay back against the sofa, pulling Peter down on top of her.

A little niggling thought told Claire to stop, that Nathan or Heidi could walk in at any second.

But when Peter's hands began to slide slowly under her skirt, all other thoughts were immediately cast aside.

Clothes were soon shed by the flickering light of the fire, and Claire dug her nails into his back as Peter slid inside of her.

She had never felt anything like it.

Pain, and yet so much pleasure.

And when he began to _move_, oh God.

It wasn't long before she came careening over the edge, gasping and shaking and whispering his name against his lips.

But he was_ still _moving, and she clutched onto him as she rode another wave of pleasure, resulting in another orgasm.

Peter was trembling, and she struggled to speak.

"Peter…W-what's…You're shaking."

He gasped, and then bit his lip. "Claire, if I don't stop now, I'm going to...I…It could…"

She put a finger to his lips. "Stop talking. Do it. Please…"

Her 'please' was the final straw.

He emptied himself into her, and then slid out slowly.

He pressed a kiss to her forehead, and then rolled them over so that she was lying on top of him.

"Jesus, Claire."

She was still panting, and tried to smile up at him.

"Peter…that…wow. I've never…We…you…Oh, God."

Peter chuckled, smoothing her hair.

She looked up, her expression nervous. "Was I…Was it okay?"

Peter cupped her chin and kissed her mouth softly. "It was perfect, Claire."

She lowered her head to his chest again, smiling slightly.

"I love you Peter. Always have, always will."

He sighed. "I love you too, Claire."

She drifted off to sleep, content in his arms.

* * *

Claire awakened, and was immediately confused.

She had fallen asleep in Peter's arms on the living room sofa.

Now she was in her bedroom, a sheet pulled over her naked frame, and she was alone.

She sat up, running a hand through her sleep-ruffled hair. "Peter?"

She swung her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet hitting the cold floor.

Clutching the sheet around her body, she poked her head in the bathroom, but no Peter.

She stuck her head out into the hallway to make sure no one was around, and then she snuck down to the guest room where Peter always slept when he visited.

But again, no sign of him.

The bed hadn't been slept in, and his bags were nowhere in sight.

Still confused, she walked back to her room.

Then, she saw it.

There was an envelope propped up against the lamp on her nightstand.

She hurried over, sat down on the bed, and ripped open the envelope.

Peter's familiar handwriting greeted her as her eyes scanned the page.

_**Claire,**_

_**By the time you read this, I'll be long gone.**_

_**Forgive me for leaving in the middle of the night, but if I had stayed, I wouldn't have been able to say goodbye. **_

_**Last night was both the best and worst night of my life. **_

_**The best because after years of longing and painful separation, we finally made love. **_

_**And it was amazing, Claire. **_

_**But it was the worst because I failed you as an uncle. **_

_**As your uncle and someone ten years older than you, I should've kept you at a distance when I realized our mutual feelings ran so deep. **_

_**Forgive my weakness. **_

_**What happened last night, as mind-blowing and incredible as it was, can never happen again.**_

_**So I'm leaving. **_

_**I'm not sure if or when I'll ever be back. **_

_**Please continue to live your life, and grow into the beautiful woman I can already see that you're becoming. **_

_**I love you, Claire. **_

_**More than I can ever express in a letter.**_

_**-Peter**_

Claire burst into tears, clutching the letter to her chest. "Oh, Peter!"

* * *

_**5 years later**_

"No, Anna! The centerpiece is for the _middle _of the table." Angela gestured to the dinner table.

The maid blushed and hurried to do the eldest Petrelli's bidding. "Sorry, Mrs. Angela."

Angela shook her head. "I have a migraine."

Heidi smirked. "Why don't you go relax. Claire will be here any second, and she can help."

Angela nodded and grabbed her glass of wine before retreating to the living room.

The doorbell rang, and moments later Claire came sweeping into the dining room.

Heidi embraced her stepdaughter. "Gorgeous as always, Claire."

Claire smiled. "Thanks, Heidi. Where's Nathan?"

Heidi rolled her eyes. "You know Nathan. Can't put down the phone for a second, even on Christmas Eve. If he's not out of his office in ten minutes, I'm going to send Simon and Monty in there with pots and pans. That should rain on his parade. Now, where's your entourage?"

Claire smiled. "Well, here comes half of it."

Heidi hugged Claire's husband.

"Always nice to see you, West."

He nodded. "Sorry, I ran into Angela in the living room. Geez, is she crabby."

He kissed Claire's cheek, and then looked around. "Hey, aren't we missing somebody?"

Claire looked around the room. "Where's Ryan?"

* * *

Ryan was still in the foyer, staring at the huge house.

It had always fascinated him.

When he heard the front door open and close, he whirled around to see a strange man standing there.

The man smiled down at him. "Well now, what have we here? What's your name?"

Ryan stuck his thumb in his mouth. "Mommy told me not to talk to strangers."

The man nodded. "Your mommy is smart."

He crouched down in front of the little boy. "Well I'm not really a stranger. Do you know Nathan?"

Ryan nodded.

The man smiled again. "Well, I'm his brother. I'm…"

"Peter." Claire's declaration came out in a whisper.

Ryan grinned and ran to her. "Mommy!"

Peter's eyes widened. "You're…He's yours?"

Claire nodded, lifting the little boy into her arms.

They stood there staring at eachother for a moment, until West walked up behind Claire.

"Babe, Heidi needs your help with something. I…Peter? Whoa! Long time no see!"

He rushed forward to clap Peter on the back.

Peter looked shocked. "West. You two are…?"

West nodded. "I guess you haven't seen us in a while. We got married when we found out about the baby."

Peter nodded slowly. "I missed a lot…"

Claire cleared her throat. "West, take Ryan into see Nathan and Heidi. I want to talk to Peter alone for a minute."

West nodded, taking the little boy into his arms. "Great to have you back, Peter."

Claire grabbed Peter's arm, yanking him into the sunroom and closing the door.

"Claire, I…"

He was cut off by a hard smack across the face.

"Ow, Claire!"

She was so angry she was shaking. "You son of a bitch. How dare you show up now? I FINALLY have my life back together. What, do you have some kind of radar or something? 'oOo! Claire's happy! Time to go screw it up'?"

He sighed. "No, Claire. Look, I'm sorry. I'm not here to screw anything up. I just… I miss everyone. I miss you."

She shook her head. "You don't get to say that. You don't get to do this to me. Not after five years. That's not the way this works."

She turned her back to him. "How do you think I felt, Peter? I had sex with my uncle, but then I convinced myself it was okay, because we were _so_ in love with eachother that nothing else mattered. Then I wake up the next morning alone, and find a goodbye _note _from you. I was so upset, Peter. God, I was a wreck."

She swiped at a tear rolling down her cheek. "I took the first plane back to Costa Verde, had meaningless sex with West, and nine months later Ryan came along. Nathan and Angela practically _marched _me down the aisle when they found out I was pregnant. My life has been one disappointment after another."

Peter sighed. "I'm sorry, Claire. I'm so…"

She swung back to smack him again, but this time he grabbed her wrist.

Their eyes locked, and the air in the room grew almost unbearably thick.

Time seemed to stand still as they stood there, faces inches apart.

The door opening caused both of their heads to whip around.

"Claire, dinner is… Pete?"

Nathan rushed forward, hugging his brother tightly.

"Where the hell have you been? I haven't heard from you in months!"

Claire's mouth dropped open. "You've been in contact with him and you didn't tell me, Nathan?"

Nathan shrugged sheepishly. "He asked me not to. I'm sorry, Claire."

She shrugged. "Whatever, I'm going to go find West."

She walked out of the room, closing the door behind her.

She leaned against the door as silent tears rolled down her cheeks. "Oh, Peter…"

**_Okay, so there you have it! The first chapter. _**

**_Let me know what you guys think, and if anything confuses you at all._**

**_I'm open to any and all constructive criticism!_**


	2. Chapter 2

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**_Thanks for the reviews, guys! _**

**_As for your questions about Ryan's paternity, all will be revealed in time. _**

**_Read on!_**

* * *

Dinner was especially awkward.

Claire was seated across from Peter, and worse than that, Ryan had developed an instant liking for his mother's uncle.

"Peter, can you play with me later?"

The adults chuckled, and Peter smiled. "Sure, buddy."

Claire shoved her chair away from the table with a loud scraping noise. "Excuse me."

Her heels clicked across the floor as she grabbed her purse and walked out the front door.

Angela sniffed. "She probably just scratched the wood floor with her chair."

Nathan sighed, rubbing a hand over his eyes.

Peter wiped his mouth with his napkin, and stood. "Excuse me, please."

He hurried after Claire, and Angela rolled her eyes.

"That boy has always been too overprotective of her."

West watched as Peter closed the front door behind him.

* * *

Claire didn't even turn to look when Peter stepped out into the chilly night air.

"I'm fine. I'll be right back in."

Peter raised his eyebrows when he saw her smoking a cigarette.

She turned to face him and rolled her eyes at his expression.

"Those things will kill you, Claire."

She laughed bitterly. "No they won't. Nothing can, believe me I've tried."

He flinched. "You've tried to kill yourself?"

She turned away, blowing a puff of smoke into the air.

"Yeah. Didn't work, though. Look, don't tell West. He doesn't know about that, and I want to keep it that way. He's too fragile."

Peter sighed, and then decided to change the subject.

"If you don't want me to talk to Ryan, I won't."

She shook her head. "It's fine. I'm sorry about the way I acted in there. I just always feel suffocated when I come here. And now that West is making so much money, we're often running in the same social circles as Nathan and Heidi, and I'm feeling extra suffocated."

She sighed. "I'm sorry to unload that on you, it's not your problem."

He reached out to her, resting his hand on her slender shoulder.

"You can talk to me. I only want to help."

She pressed her cheek against his hand, and the touch felt incredibly intimate.

"I missed you."

Peter sighed. "I missed you too."

She turned to face him. "You could've stayed. If you told me that it couldn't happen again, I could've dealt with it."

He smiled slightly. "I know. But I couldn't have. I needed to be away from you. To get over you."

She lowered her head, nodding. "How long are you back?"

He shrugged. "I don't know yet."

He plucked the cigarette from her fingers, squashing on the ground with his shoe.

"Smoking doesn't suit you."

She nodded. "I know."

They stood there smiling at eachother for a while.

The front door opening ruined the moment.

West stepped outside. "God, it's cold out here. Claire, Ryan's asking for you."

She nodded, her gaze never leaving Peter's face.

As the door closed behind her, West sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"I've known her a long time, and she's still such a mystery to me."

Peter looked up. "What do you mean?"

West looked out across the front yard, crossing his arms. "I've done everything I can think of to make her happy. I got a job that paid extravagantly, bought her expensive gifts, I even moved us here to New York so she could be closer to Nathan and Heidi. We have everything, and she doesn't even kiss me goodnight anymore."

He turned to Peter, forcing a smile. "But hey, I'm glad you're back. She always seemed happier when you were around. That's the first time I've seen her genuinely smile in months."

Peter smiled slightly. "I'm glad to be back."

* * *

When it came time for West and Claire to leave, they all gathered in the foyer to say their goodnights.

Claire hugged Angela stiffly, and warmly embraced Nathan and Heidi before moving to Peter.

She hugged him tightly as his chin rested on the top of her head.

"Promise me you'll stay. At least until New Year's."

He bit his lip. "I promise."

They broke their embrace only when Peter noticed Angela glaring at them.

Peter nodded at West, and accepted Ryan's hug with a smile.

"Will you come see me soon, Peter?"

He ruffled the little boy's hair. "Sure. As long as you're good for mommy."

Ryan smiled from ear to ear. "I will be. I promise!"

He watched them walk down the front path.

Ryan's tiny hand in his mother's, and West walking a few feet in front of them.

He smiled in spite of himself.

He couldn't help but imagine what it would be like to go home with Claire.

To hold her hand, to carry Ryan on his shoulders.

Then, he shut the thoughts out of his head, and closed the door.

* * *

That night after Ryan had been put to bed and "Santa" had placed the presents under the tree, Claire went to her bedroom closet and pulled out a large box of photos.

She was still looking through them when West crawled onto the bed next to her.

He rested his chin on her shoulder, noticing the way she was gazing at the picture in her hands.

It was a photo of Claire and Peter from quite a few years ago, lying in the snow and making snow angels.

"I guess you two made up, huh?"

Claire slid the photo back into the box, and closed the lid quickly. "Yeah, we did."

West watched as she carried the box back to the closet. "What were you mad about, anyway?"

Claire tossed a smile over her shoulder as she began to undress.

"Nothing, really. Something silly and childish. I didn't want him to leave, and he did. Without saying goodbye. It doesn't matter anymore. That was a long time ago."

It was an edited version of the truth, but the truth none the less.

She stepped out of her dress, and walked over to the closet to hang it up.

West watched her with an appreciative eye for her toned curves. "New underwear?"

She emerged from the walk-in closet and shook her head with a grin.

"No, but I _do _have a Santa hat you could wear if you wanted to spice things up."

He grinned.

"Does that mean we're going to have sex? It's been five months, I'd almost given up hope we'd ever do it again."

She crossed her arms. "Sorry, I didn't realize we had to follow a set timetable. Besides, all the traveling you do for work doesn't leave us much time to _see _eachother, much less make love."

West pulled her down beside him on the bed. "I know, sweetheart. I'm sorry."

She smiled. "You'd better be."

They made love for close to twenty minutes.

But as Claire climaxed, West opened his eyes to watch her, and what he saw made his blood run cold.

Claire's mouth was moving silently, forming the same word over and over.

_Peter._

* * *

__

**Haha! **

**Okay, so I know the whole 'saying someone else's name during sex' thing is a little cliche, but trust me when I say it's vital to this story.**

**It will set off an interesting chain of events!**

**Drop me a review, pretty please?**


	3. Chapter 3

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Peter slept soundly, awakening to noise downstairs.

He pulled on a pair of jeans and a sweater, and walked down into the living room.

The family was gathered around the fireplace, enjoying the traditional Christmas breakfast of pancakes and hot chocolate.

He stood quietly in the doorway for a few minutes, watching them.

His eyes immediately sought out Claire.

She sat in an armchair, dark circles under her eyes, unsmiling.

Even in jeans and a long-sleeved tee, her hair pulled back in a loose ponytail, she looked beautiful.

Ryan had pancake syrup smeared across his face, and Simon and Monty were equally messy.

Nathan and Heidi sat on the sofa, hands clasped between them.

Angela sat in the armchair opposite Claire's, glancing disapprovingly at the messy appearance of her grandsons.

West was noticeably absent.

Angela was the first to notice him.

"Peter. Well, you certainly slept long enough."

Peter smirked. "Sorry mom. I'd forgotten how soft the beds are here. Merry Christmas, everyone."

Claire smiled broadly.

Peter sat down on the floor beside her chair. "Where's West?"

Claire's smile faded. "He had a last minute business trip. Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I want some more hot chocolate."

Heidi held up her mug. "I'll take some more."

Peter stood up with Claire. "I'll help."

* * *

Peter rinsed out the mugs and got one for himself, while Claire boiled the water for the hot chocolate.

"Are you okay? You don't look like you slept too well."

Claire sighed, rubbing a hand over her face. "I'm fine. West and I had a huge fight last night, and he decided that he needed to go away for a few weeks. It was difficult to try to explain to Ryan why his daddy had to go away on Christmas day. I just don't feel very cheery."

Peter nodded.

He bit his lip, as she turned her back to him to check on the water. "I have a gift for you."

She turned to face him, a smile slowly spreading across her face.

"Well, I didn't have time to get you anything since your return was so unexpected."

Peter shrugged. "You know I don't care about that."

She nodded. "I know, but I felt obligated to say it anyway."

He chuckled, and then held out a small box.

"Just do me a favor, open it later, okay?"

She tilted her head to the side. "Okay. Thank you, Peter."

She finished making the hot chocolate, and turned to leave the room.

She paused in the doorway, two of the steaming mugs in her hands, and turned to face him.

"You really didn't have to get me a gift, you know. You coming back is better than any present."

She gave him a bone-melting smile, and his heart physically ached.

He'd been kidding himself.

There was no way he was now, or ever would be over her.

He returned her smile with one of his own, though he felt like his heart was breaking.

She walked back to the living room as Angela entered the kitchen.

Angela watched him stare after Claire, and slammed her mug down on the counter.

"Tell me that you didn't come back for her. Tell me that you're not here for _her_."

Peter turned away. "Of course not. I have no idea what the hell you're talking about."

Angela walked over to him, lowering her voice. "We both know the way you feel about her. The two of you have been inseparable since you regained your memory."

Peter shook his head. "Mom, I've been away for five years. I'd hardly call that inseparable!"

His mother shook her head. "It seemed strange to me, your sudden sabbatical. You were here for Thanksgiving, and then you were gone. All we could get out of Claire between her sobs was that you had to leave, and didn't know when you'd be back."

Peter grabbed a sponge, and began scrubbing the countertop furiously.

Angela was relentless. "I watched you two grow closer and closer. She would stare out the front door until you came, and run to meet you as soon as she saw your car. You showered her with gifts, some of them inappropriately personal. Like the dress you bought for her? Even Nathan was uncomfortable when she told a reporter that her _uncle _had given her that slip of a dress."

Peter tossed aside the sponge. "I don't want to hear any more, Mom. You don't have any idea what you're talking about."

She raised a perfectly arched eyebrow. "Don't I? Peter, Claire came to me when she found out she was pregnant. She told me that the two of you made love that Thanksgiving."

Peter's body went rigid as his mother continued.

"She was afraid that the baby was yours."

His mouth went dry. "Mine? She thought Ryan was mine?"

The thought hadn't even crossed his mind.

He'd simply accepted her explanation without a second thought.

"_I took the first plane back to Costa Verde, had meaningless sex with West, and nine months later Ryan came along."_

Angela nodded. "She swore me to secrecy, of course. She didn't want Nathan to ever find out. I went with her to the doctor, and she had a paternity test done. Imagine our relief when the test determined West to be the father."

Peter's head throbbed. "It was a mistake, Mother. One I don't intend to repeat."

Angela tapped her fingers on the countertop. "The fact that it happened at all is enough to make me want to die of shame. Do you know what it would do to this family's image if it ever got out to the press that you slept with your _niece_?!"

Peter hurled his mug across the room, and it shattered into dozens of tiny pieces when it hit the wall.

"For God's sake, Mom! It's not like I grew up knowing she was my niece! I didn't hold her when she was a baby, I didn't go to her birthday parties or ballet recitals… When I met Claire, we had no idea we were related. We went through hell and back together, and it brought us closer. I tried to suppress the feelings, but they kept resurfacing. In a moment of weakness, I stopped struggling. I regret it, but I can't change it."

Heidi appeared in the doorway. "Is everything alright? I heard a crash…"

She spotted the shattered mug. "Oh, here. I'll clean that up."

Angela held up her hands. "We will take care of it, Heidi. Peter and I were having a conversation, and we…"

Peter shook his head. "We're done."

With that, he stormed out of the kitchen.

Heidi raised her eyebrows. "What was _that _all about?"

Angela straightened her dress. "Peter being his usual melodramatic self, that's all."

* * *

Peter plastered on a smile while everyone opened their gifts, but inside he was dying.

Claire had been afraid Ryan was his, but she had made no mention of it when she told him how her son had come to be.

Why?

She had always trusted him with everything.

He volunteered to take the boys out to play in the snow, and Claire looked relieved to have some time to herself.

She told Heidi she was feeling faint, and was going to lie down.

She went upstairs to the room that used to be hers, and locked the door.

Pulling out her cell phone, she dialed West.

"Hello?"

She sighed. "It's me. Don't hang up, please."

It was quiet for a second. "What do you want, Claire?"

She bit her lip. "I want you to come home. I'm sorry for what happened last night. Ryan misses you, and we want you to come home."

He sighed. "I flew home to see my parents, Claire. In a plane."

She couldn't help the smile that formed. "How about tomorrow? Can you come home tomorrow?"

He paused, and then sighed. "I'll be home tomorrow. I have to go. Tell Ryan I love him?"

She closed her eyes. "I will. I _do _love you, West. You know that, right?"

He sighed yet again. "I know, Claire. But is it enough? I'll see you tomorrow."

She clicked her phone shut and sank down on the window seat, head in hands.

* * *

Peter gasped when a snowball hit him square in the face.

He'd been helping the boys build a snowman when the wet slush hit him.

He looked up in surprise, and saw Claire standing there with an impish grin on her face.

"Oops! It slipped out of my hand."

He shook his head, grinning. "You're so dead. What should we do to her, boys?"

"Get her!" they cheered in unison.

He laughed. "You start making the snowballs; I'll hold her down so she can't escape."

Claire's eyes widened. "No you won't. Peter, don't you dare!"

He moved towards her, and she took off running.

He chased around behind the house before he caught her.

He tackled her to the ground, and she let out a squeal as she hit the snow.

They laughed, long and hard, until they couldn't breathe.

They grew quiet when they realized the position they were in. He was on top of her, their legs intertwined, chest to chest.

Claire's breathing grew unsteady as their eyes locked.

The fire burning in her eyes startled Peter.

She reached her hand up to his face, simply placing her hand on his cheek.

"I _really _missed you, Peter."

He nodded, his heart beating like a drum.

The moment was ruined when they heard "FIRE!", and were bombarded with dozens of snowballs.

* * *

**_I'm so sorry that it took so long for me to post this._**

**_Work has been hectic lately, and I've been too tired to write._**

**_As always, reviews are welcomed and appreciated! _**


	4. Chapter 4

* * *

After Claire tucked Ryan into bed that night, she took a long, hot bath.

She was sitting on her bed and brushing her hair when the doorbell rang.

She cursed under her breath as she stumbled down the stairs and through the dark living room to the front door.

Flipping the porch light on, her heartbeat quickened when she saw Peter.

She opened the door.

"Peter? What are you doing here?"

He shoved his hands into his coat pockets. "I need to talk to you."

She nodded. "Okay, come in."

He walked past her into the house, and she closed the door.

She flipped on some lights, and pulled her bathrobe a little tighter.

Peter stood in front of her fireplace, looking at the framed photos on the mantle.

He picked up one of her favorites.

Nathan had taken it the day Ryan was born.

She sat in a hospital bed, Ryan in her arms, and West was pressing a kiss to her cheek.

She walked up behind Peter, touching him gently on the arm.

"Peter? What's going on? What do you want to talk to me about?"

He sat the photo back on the mantle, and turned to her with a sigh.

"Why didn't you tell me that you thought Ryan might have been mine?"

Her eyes widened, and her mouth opened and closed a few times.

He pulled his coat off, and threw it into an armchair.

"My mom told me." he answered her silent question.

She nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Sit down, Peter."

He sank heavily onto the sofa, and she sat down next to him.

Claire grasped both of his hands in her much smaller ones, desperately trying to ignore the electricity she felt from touching Peter.

"I didn't think it mattered. The paternity test confirmed that West is Ryan's dad, and I didn't think I needed to burden you with that."

He shook his head. "Claire, we've always been honest with eachother. Something _that _important…It's not your decision if I can handle it or not."

Claire nodded. "Okay. I'm sorry. You're right, I should have told you."

He gently slid his hands out of hers, and stood. "I should go."

Claire tried to smile. "Hey, I'm taking Ryan sledding tomorrow. He would love to spend more time with you. Would you like you like to come with us?"

Peter tucked his bangs behind his ear, and she smiled.

She had missed his hair!

"Sounds like fun. What time?"

Her face lit up. "Around eleven A.M."

Peter smiled. "I'll be here. Goodnight, Claire."

He embraced her, holding her tightly against his chest.

She lowered her head to his shoulder, sighing.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed when he finally pulled away, and walked out the door.

Claire fought back tears.

Though she knew West loved her very much, it was nothing compared to the love Peter had for her.

Nor was her love for West _anywhere _near her love for Peter.

She was stuck in a lifeless marriage for the sake of her son, and carrying a torch for her uncle.

She was _so _going to hell.

* * *

Early the next morning, Peter entered a local Catholic church.

He had purposely chosen one far away from the church where Nathan and Heidi put in their weekly appearance with Angela.

He had to wait a few minutes for the confessional booth to empty, and then entered.

"Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It's been seven years since my last confession."

The priest made a sound of surprise, then cleared his throat. "Go on, my son."

Peter swallowed thickly. "Five years ago, I slept with my niece."

It was silent for a moment. "That is a most grievous sin."

Peter sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm in love with her, Father. When we met, we didn't know we were related. We went through a life-changing experience together, and…I don't know. After we found out, I tried to put some distance between us. I took a job that involved a lot of traveling, had a couple of girlfriends, but every time I saw her, it all came flooding back. I lost control for only a second, and the next thing I knew…"

He stopped, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"What's wrong with me, Father?"

The priest sighed.

"There may not be anything wrong with you, my son. Women fall in love with men who beat them, men fall in love with their mothers…Love is the most inexplicable phenomenon of all. God's unconditional love for man is what caused Him to send His only son to die for us. As humans, we may never fully understand love. You comitted a most terrible sin, though. One that cannot go unpunished. Now, what do you think you penance should be?"

Peter tugged a hand through his hair. "Death? I don't know, Father. What penance is equal to sleeping with your niece?"

The priest sighed again. "Apologize to your niece, and admit your sin to your family. Beg the Lord for forgiveness, and _DON'T _do it again."

Peter's eyes widened. "Tell my family? Father, my brother will _kill _me."

The priest chuckled. "Then your idea for penance might come to be after all. God bless you, my son."

Peter crossed himself, and exited the confessional booth.

* * *

"No, I absolutely disagree with you, Senator. What good would that do the taxpayers?"

Nathan shuffled some papers around on his desk.

His conversation was interrupted by his secretary. "Congressman, your brother is here."

Nathan's eyebrows rose. "Send him in, Andrea."

He placed his cell phone back to his ear. "Senator, I have to go. My position on this won't change, so you might as well stop trying to convince me. God bless, now."

He tossed his phone onto the desk as Peter entered the room.

He walked out from behind his desk, embracing his little brother. "Pete. Is everything alright? You know, I'm kind of busy right now, so if this can…"

"I slept with Claire."

Nathan's mouth fell open, and his eyes grew as wide as saucers. "You…She…You…WHEN?!"

He said the last word so loudly, and with so much force, that Peter cringed.

"About five and a half years ago. Right before I left. Actually, _it _was the _reason _I left. It was a mistake, Nathan. I'd always felt drawn to Claire, and her to me. I tried to be the mature one, always making sure to put an appropriate distance between us. But that Thanksgiving, I couldn't fight it anymore."

Nathan's head whipped around from where he had been staring out the window. "Thanksgiving? You had sex with my daughter in _my house_?"

Peter lowered his head, and nodded.

"Jesus, Peter! Oh my God… Why are you telling me this _now_? Planning to do it again? You want me to be prepared in case she gets pregnant or some…"

He shook his head, and when he spoke, Peter could hear the tears in his voice.

"Please, Peter. Tell me Ryan isn't yours."

Peter shook his head. "Claire had a paternity test. He's West's son. I'm not planning on it _ever _happening again, Nathan. I went to confession, and the priest told me I had to tell my family and apologize to Claire in order to be forgiven."

Nathan sank heavily into his chair. "Peter…I don't understand how you could do that. She's my daughter. I knew you were close, but I trusted you."

Peter nodded. "I know, Nathan. I won't blame you if you could never forgive me. Just know that I'm sorry, and that I'm trying to make things right."

Nathan took a deep, shaky breath. "Are you…Do you still have feelings for her?"

Peter swallowed, and then he lied.

"No."

Nathan stood up, and walked over to his brother, gripping him by the shoulders.

"Then I forgive you."

Peter's eyebrows rose. "That's it? You're not going to plunge that paper weight through the back of my skull and kill me?"

Nathan scratched the back of his neck.

"When you talked about her, after we got back from Odessa, you had a glint in your eyes. Your voice had a different tone to it. I could tell you had feelings for her. When we found out she was my daughter, I saw your valiant attempts to be a good _uncle _to her."

Nathan sighed heavily, loosening his tie.

"You made a mistake, Pete. You're human. God knows I've made plenty of mistakes in my life. I don't think there's any need to tell Heidi about this, though. It would only upset her. Promise me that it will never happen again, and I'll believe you. I trust you."

Peter nodded. "I promise, Nathan. Thank you."

He embraced his brother, and breathed a huge sigh of relief.

* * *

**_So there you are, another chapter. _**

**_Thank you to all of you who have reviewed, and those of you who have added me or this story to your author alert or story alert lists. _**

**_It's nice to know that people are reading and enjoying something that I wrote!_**

**_Reviews REALLY do inspire me, so please, click that button and let me know what you think!!_**

**_Just as a side note, I know there are going to be those of you who think that Nathan forgave Peter too easily._**

**_I mulled over the decision whether or not to have Nathan kick the crap out of Peter, or forgive him, and ultimately settled on the second option. (I DID write a version where Nathan beat Peter up with a paperweight!!)_**

**_We've seen Nathan make a lot of moral mistakes on the show, and therefore I think he would have some compassion for his brother. _**

**_Ultimately, opinions are subjective things, and I can't please everyone. I just wanted to let you all know my reasoning behind that scene._**

**_REVEIW!_**

* * *


	5. Chapter 5

* * *

Claire cheered as Ryan made another run down the snow-covered hill.

Hearing a car door close, she felt her heart leap.

_Peter_?

But as she turned, her smile fell a notch.

West was walking across the snowy yard towards her.

He stopped a few feet away. "Hi."

Claire tried to smile. "Hi."

She closed the distance between them, and he pulled her into a warm embrace.

"I missed you so much, Claire."

She rested her cheek against his chest. "I missed you too."

Finally, West pulled away gently. "We need to talk, Claire. We have a lot of stuff to iron out."

She nodded. "Okay. Um… How about I drive Ryan over to Nathan and Heidi's, and then we can have a long talk."

West nodded. "Okay. I'll order Chinese food."

She smiled. "Okay. Ryan? Come here, honey."

Ryan ran up the hill, letting out a squeal when he saw West.

West crouched down, opening his arms for his son.

"Daddy!"

Claire felt a lump forming in her throat watching the tender moment.

West pulled back, ruffling the little boy's dark hair. "You're going to go see Grandpa and Grandma and Simon and Monty, okay?"

Ryan grinned. "Okay!"

The sound of tires crunching on the snow caused Claire to whirl around.

_Peter. _

He stepped out of a black SUV she recognized as belonging to Nathan, closing the door behind him.

West's face registered anger as Peter approached.

"Sorry I'm late, Claire. I had some errands I had to run."

Peter's face twisted with undreadable emotion at the sight of Claire's husband.

"West. How was your business trip?"

West lifted Ryan into his arms. "It was fine. Did the two of you have plans?"

Peter shook his head. "Not really. I was going to do some sledding with Ryan, but you two probably want to catch up after your trip."

Claire nodded. "Yeah. Actually, if you could take Ryan to Nathan and Heidi's, I'd really appreciate it."

Peter nodded. "Sure. I'll just…I can take him."

Claire saw the strange look on his face. "I'll get you his car seat."

She got Ryan's car seat out of her car, and helped Peter buckle him into the SUV.

Once the car door was closed, Claire turned to Peter.

"What's wrong?"

Peter glanced over at West, who was standing on the front porch, blowing on his hands for warmth.

"I told Nathan."

Claire shoved her hands into her pockets. "Told him what, Peter?"

Peter sighed, leaning up against the SUV. "I told him that we slept together."

Claire gasped, clamping a hand over her mouth. "Why the hell did you do that?!"

Peter bit his lip. "I'm trying to make up for my mistakes, Claire. I can't move on with my life until I've set things right."

She looked away, and when she looked back, he saw the tears in her eyes.

"Take care of my son."

With that, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to Peter's cheek.

He watched her walk over to West, and then they disappeared into the house.

He swallowed, and then climbed into the SUV. "Ready to have some fun, Ryan?"

The little boy grinned and clapped his hands. "YAY!"

* * *

Once they had finished their Chinese food, West cleared his throat.

"You said Peter's name while we were having sex."

Claire gathered their empty containers, and stood. "Well, you don't beat around the bush, do you?"

West stood, following her into the kitchen.

"I always knew you two were close. I thought it was weird, but when I asked Nathan or Heidi about it, they looked at me like I was insane. You were terrible to live with when we got back together. You were moody, rude, and would lock yourself in the bedroom for hours. Even on our wedding day, what should have been a happy day for us, you walked down the aisle without _any _emotion. I thought we loved eachother, Claire. What happened?"

Claire sighed, running a hand through her hair. "That's a loaded question, West. I could tell you the whole story, the truth. But all that would do is make things worse."

West placed one hand on either side of her head, cupping her face gently.

"All I want is for you to be honest with me."

She nodded slowly. "Okay."

* * *

Peter chuckled as he watched Ryan play with Simon and Monty.

Heidi walked up behind him, and smiled. "Isn't he perfect? Claire was really blessed with Ryan. He's smart, too. He'll probably grow up and be a geneticist like his father."

Peter's eyebrows rose. "West is a geneticist? That's hard to picture…"

Heidi chuckled. "Just because he still looks like a surfer doesn't mean he hasn't matured. He's a great guy. He loves Claire _so _much, and he's a good father. I thought you'd be happy she found such a good husband."

Peter looked up quickly. "Oh, I am. I just… I never pictured her marrying West. I thought he was just a high school and college boyfriend."

Heidi nodded. "He would have been, if not for Ryan. Claire went through a hard time when you left, Peter. You really hurt her. She was looking for comfort, and I think that's why she went back to West."

Peter's throat tightened. "I never meant to hurt her. I've only ever wanted her to be happy."

Heidi squeezed his arm gently. "I know that. And I think deep down, Claire knows that too. But maybe you should tell her that. Tell her that you want the best for her."

Peter nodded slowly. "Maybe I will. Thanks Heidi."

He brushed a kiss over his sister-in-law's forehead, and turned back to the boys.

Simon looked up. "Uncle Peter! Come play with us?"

Peter smiled. "Absolutely."

* * *

"Please say something."

Claire trembled as she watched her husband.

He had remained motionless since she had finished speaking, leaning against the counter, and staring at the floor.

"You asked me to tell you the truth, West. Now say something!"

He cleared his throat, still not lifting his eyes from the floor.

"Are you in love with him?"

Claire flinched.

He spoke again, his gaze never moving from the floor.

"Tell me the truth, Claire. Damn it, you owe me that."

Her eyes clouded with tears as she answered him.

"Yes. I am."

* * *

Ryan fell asleep on the sofa watching 'Finding Nemo'.

Peter smiled as he listened to the little boy's soft snoring.

He had just turned off the TV when he heard the front door open and close.

He looked up to see Claire in the doorway.

Her eyes were red, her makeup smeared.

She had obviously been crying quite hard, and his heart ached for her.

"Claire?"

She crossed to where he was standing, and when he saw her chin quiver, he pulled her to him in a tight embrace.

"What's wrong?"

Her strangled sobs were all he received in response.

He smoothed her hair, glancing over at Ryan to make sure Claire's sobs hadn't awakened him.

"Hey, why don't I drive you two home. Unless you want to stay here tonight. I'm sure Nathan wouldn't mind."

She lifted her face from Peter's chest, and shook her head.

"Take us home."

* * *

**_There you go, another chapter!_**

**_While my updating does not rely solely on reviews, I've been a bit discouraged about the lack of them that this story has received. _**

**_I'm not saying that I'm not going to update until I get a certain amount of reviews, because I find that harsh and unfair to those of you who DO review._**

**_But at the same time, it would help me to write faster if I knew that people actually cared if I continue this story or not. _**

**_So if you'd be so kind, drop me a review. It could be simply a few words, I don't care._**

**_Just let me know that you're reading, and what you think of what you're reading._**

**_Much love to those of you who review faithfully! Your reviews make my day!_**


	6. Chapter 6

* * *

Peter carried a still-sleeping Ryan up the stairs to the room Claire had indicated was his.

He smiled as he placed Ryan in his racecar bed, and tucked him in.

When he went back downstairs, Claire was exactly where he had left her, sitting on the sofa.

She was staring straight ahead, seemingly unblinking.

"Where's West?"

She closed her eyes. "Gone. Long gone."

He crossed his arms. "Claire, what happened? Why were you so upset?"

She opened her eyes, but still didn't look at him. "He knows. West knows. I told him."

Peter swallowed. "About us?"

She nodded.

Peter took a deep breath. "What did he do? What did he say?"

She reached up to wipe a tear making its way down her cheek.

"He asked me if I'm in love with you."

Peter's heart jumped to his throat. "What…"

He paused and cleared his throat. "What did you say?"

Claire lifted her eyes to his for the first time. "Yes. I'm in love with you."

Peter sank to his knees in front of her. "Oh, Claire…"

She began to sob. "I fucked everything up, Peter. I was okay. Not deliriously happy, but I had West and Ryan… West said he's going to send the divorce papers as soon as he returns to California. I'm afraid of what will happen. What if he fights me for custody of Ryan?"

Peter clasped one of her hands in his. "Ryan isn't going anywhere, okay? I'll make sure of it."

Claire looked down at their intertwined fingers. "And what about you? Are you going anywhere?"

Peter sighed. "I'm supposed to be back in Florida next week. Mohinder is waiting for me."

Claire's lower lip trembled, and she quickly looked away.

Peter bit his lip, and then squeezed her hand. "I'll call him. I'll tell him I need to take some time off for a family emergency."

She shook her head. "Don't. Your work is important. I'll ask Nathan for help."

Peter stood up, and walked over to the fireplace, leaning against the mantle.

He looked lost in thought when Claire cleared her throat.

"I'm really tired, Peter."

Peter nodded. "Of course. I'll go now."

She tried to give him a smile, reminding him so much of the Texan cheerleader he'd saved all those years ago.

He had a strong urge to kiss her.

She wiped her tears. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

He nodded. "Goodnight."

She watched him leave, and then climbed the stairs to her room.

But somehow, she couldn't stomach the thought of sleeping in the bed she'd shared with West.

She walked down the hallway to her son's bedroom, and slid onto the little boy's racecar bed.

Pressing a kiss to Ryan's forehead, she wrapped her arms around him and began to cry softly.

* * *

Claire and Ryan came over for brunch the next morning.

When it was time for Claire to tell the rest of the family about the divorce, Peter herded the kids into the living room.

Sitting them down in front of the TV, he headed into the kitchen.

"Anna, I'll do the dishes."

The elderly maid shook her head. "Oh no, Peter. It's my job, dear."

He smiled. "Anna, I insist. Please, have a cup of tea, sit down, relax."

She smiled. "Alright, then. Thank you, dear."

He watched the maid leave the room, and smiled again.

Anna had been with their family for as long as he could remember.

She'd bandaged his scraped knees when he was a little boy, and had been someone he could talk to through his own personal hell; high school.

He washed dishes in silence for a while, up to his elbows in soapy water.

When he was about halfway through the stacks of dishes, he heard a noise from behind him.

Glancing over his shoulder, his throat tightened at the sight of Claire's tears.

His fingers ached to wipe her tears.

He so badly wanted to take her in his arms, to clutch her to his chest and tell her everything would be alright.

But he simply tightened his grip on the sponge, and offered her a half-smile.

"How did it go?"

She wiped her tears.

"Well, I couldn't tell them the whole truth, of course. Heidi cried. Nathan looked pissed, but sympathetic. Angela… Angela was her usual bitchy self. I think she knows what's really behind this. I can't be sure of course, but... She told me what a horrible person and wife I am, that I'm a terrible mother…"

Peter shook his head. "None of those things are true."

Claire pulled her hair free of its ponytail. "Thank you. I don't understand, Peter. People in this world are so terrible, so nasty. I've been a bitch to you. How are you so good?"

He sat the last dish aside, watching the water drain slowly from the sink. "I'm not good, Claire. God, I'm so far from good it's not even funny."

He sighed, tugging a hand through his hair. "I try to see the good in people. Sometimes that's a difficult thing to do, but I try."

He wiped his hands on a clean towel, and then looked up at her.

"It's never been difficult to find the good in you, Claire."

She looked stunned for a second, and then she closed her eyes.

She tightened her grip on the countertop, and sighed. "God, Peter. You make me _weak_."

He hesitated for a second, and then shook his head.

"I'm sorry, I have to... I'm going to go check on Ryan, okay?"

He left the room quickly, and Claire missed his presence already.

* * *

Peter tapped softly on Nathan's office door.

"Come in."

Nathan looked up, and smiled slightly when he saw his younger brother.

"Pete. I was just about to have a scotch. Would you like a drink?"

Peter shook his head. "No thanks."

Nathan tossed a glance over his shoulder as he poured his drink.

"I assume Claire told you about the divorce?"

At Peter's affirmative nod, Nathan looked up at the ceiling and chuckled.

"Who am I kidding? I'm sure you were the first to know."

He sat down, sipping his drink. "She always did prefer you."

Peter sat down across from his brother, pulling at a loose thread on his shirt.

"I'm leaving, Nathan. Tonight."

Nathan's eyebrows rose.

"I thought you were staying through New Year's. Heidi and I are throwing a big party, and I wanted you there. Claire's divorce is going to be a field day for the press, and it would be nice to have something positive for them to report. Like that my brother is back for a visit?"

Peter sighed. "I need to go, Nathan. If I don't, I'm going to do something I'll regret."

Nathan gave him a long, hard look.

"Okay, Pete. Just do me a favor, okay? Say goodbye to Claire this time?"

Peter nodded, and stood.

Nathan followed suit, embracing his brother.

"I love you, Peter. Keep in touch, okay? And for God's sake, be careful."

Peter smiled. "You too, Nathan."

* * *

**_Okay, so don't shoot me for getting ready to pull Peter and Claire apart again._**

**_But if you read the summary for this story, you'll know that I said this was going to be a bit of a darker fic._**

**_Next chapter, things will get much darker._**

**_Review if you want more!_**

**_(As a footnote, thank you to all of you who reviewed after my note last chapter. My intention was not to make anyone feel guilty for not reviewing, but I really did want to get a handle on how many people actually care if I continue this story. Anyway, I love you guys! Thanks for being faithful readers!)_**


	7. Chapter 7

Peter had a pleasant dinner with Claire and Ryan, dreading what he had to tell them.

It was during dessert that he finally dropped the bomb.

"I'm going to be leaving tonight."

Claire's fork clattered on her plate, and her mouth fell open.

Ryan pouted. "But I don't want you to go, Peter."

Claire cleared her throat. "Ryan, why don't you go put your pajamas on, okay?"

Ryan opened his mouth to protest, but the look on his mother's face stopped him.

Ryan left the room, and Claire turned to Peter with malice in her eyes.

"I thought you were staying until after New Year's."

Peter looked down at his half-eaten cheesecake. "I have to go, Claire."

She bit her lip. "What changed?"

Peter sighed heavily. "If I don't leave, I'm going to ruin everything."

Understanding seemed to dawn on Claire, and she turned away.

"Oh, Peter."

He put his head in his hands.

"I'm so sorry, Claire. I tried. But if I don't leave tonight…It will all happen all over again."

She nodded slowly.

Peter stood, and walked over to her, kneeling beside her chair.

"You'll be fine. And Nathan and Heidi would do anything for you and Ryan, you know that. You'll be fine."

He seemed to be reassuring himself more than her.

Her eyes met his, and he swallowed at the sight of her tears.

"You're not coming back are you?"

He lowered his head. "No, I don't think so."

She clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle a sob.

His control slipped, and he pulled her into a tight embrace.

She sobbed into his chest. "Everyone I love leaves me."

Peter's jaw tightened. "That's not a fair statement, Claire. I'm doing this for the good of both of us."

Claire pulled away. "For the good of both of us? What the hell do you know about what's good for me? I don't want you to go, Peter. You just came back!"

Peter stood, turning his back to her.

"My resolve is slipping, Claire. What happened all those years ago, it can't happen again. It won't. I'll make sure of it."

It was silent for a moment.

"What if I want it to happen again?"

Peter didn't turn around, he couldn't.

If he did, he knew that he would be kissing her in a second.

"Goodbye, Claire."

He walked out of the room, out the front door, and out of her life.

* * *

Months went by.

Months that were painstakingly long to Peter.

He continued to work with Mohinder to find people with abilities and help them, absorbing a new power each time.

But his heart wasn't in his work, it was in New York with a certain petite blonde who just happened to share his DNA.

* * *

One day, eight months after he'd run from New York, he was meeting with a ten year old psychic when his cell phone rang.

Shooting Mohinder an apologetic look, he answered it. "Hello?"

"Pete, it's Nathan. You need to get to New York Presbyterian Hospital right away."

Peter's stomach dropped.

"What's wrong? Is it Heidi? Simon or Monty?"

"No, Pete. It's Ryan."

Peter felt the room start to spin.

"I'll be right there."

* * *

As Peter entered the waiting room, he spotted his family right away.

Nathan in his eight hundred dollar suit, hunched over in his seat, head in hands.

Heidi was trying to keep Simon and Monty distracted by a candy machine, and Angela was in the corner on a cell phone, a worried expression on her face.

There was no sign of Claire.

Peter walked over to his brother, touching him gently on the shoulder to alert him of his presence.

Nathan's head jerked up. "You came."

Peter nodded. "Of course. How's Ryan?"

Nathan ran a hand through his hair.

"He has some kind of rare blood disease. I don't know, Ma can pronounce it."

Peter flinched.

"What are they doing about it?"

Nathan sighed.

"They don't know how to treat him, Peter. They tried a blood transfusion, but it didn't work. We tried giving him Claire's blood too, but it didn't work. His body rejected it as if it were a virus or something. Claire is a mess, Pete. And West is on a business trip in London, we haven't been able to reach him."

"Where's Claire?"

Nathan didn't seem surprised by the question.

"In Ryan's hospital room. You can go in if you want. But Peter, you should prepare yourself. Claire has changed a lot since you left."

* * *

Peter barely recognized Claire.

Her blonde hair was dyed jet black, and cut into a short bob.

Her eyes looked sunken into her face, and she had lost at least fifteen pounds that she shouldn't have lost.

Her clothes hung on her like a sack, and her once sparkling green eyes were now dull.

"Claire?"

She turned her dead eyes to him.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was weary.

"Nathan called me."

She turned back to her son. "You shouldn't have come."

Peter fought back tears as he looked at Ryan.

The little boy was ghostly pale against the white sheets, dark bruise-like circles under his eyes.

Countless tubes and IV's were connected to him, making him look more like a test subject than a human being.

"Oh, Claire."

She began to shake as tears rolled down her cheeks.

"I can't even get in touch with his damn father. Part of the divorce agreement was that West was supposed to tell me if he was leaving the country. Well, he didn't, and now our son is dying and he won't even answer his phone."

Peter stood there in silence for a moment.

"Do you want me to go get West?"

A look of surprise flickered over Claire's face, but her dead expression soon returned.

"Yeah, go find him."

Peter walked toward her, and reached a hand out to touch her arm.

Claire jerked away from him.

"Don't touch me."

A look of profound hurt flashed across Peter's face, and Claire almost regretted yelling at him.

Almost.

Peter found an empty hospital room, and shut himself inside of it.

After closing his eyes and focusing completely on West, he found him in a hotel room in London.

Once he had located him, he tapped into Hiro's power and teleported there.

* * *

What Peter hadn't seen before he teleported, was that West was in the midst of undressing a young blonde woman in his hotel room.

So there were three shocked faces when he appeared in the room.

The woman muttered an expletive, crossed herself, gathered her discarded clothing and hurried out the door.

West still had his pants on, for which Peter silently thanked God.

West's jaw tightened.

"What in the hell are you doing here?"

Peter crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well, if you would just answer your damn cell phone, you would know that Nathan has been calling you for two days. Ryan is sick, West."

West's face took on a horrible frightened expression.

"Oh, God. I need to get back, I have to book a flight..."

Peter shook his head.

"Put a shirt on, and I'll take us back."

West's eyes narrowed, but he buttoned a shirt over his khaki pants.

Peter stepped forward, gripped West's forearm tightly, and closed his eyes.

* * *

**_Okay, so I took a bit of a dramatic turn with this chapter. _**

**_I couldn't keep them apart for long, though!_**

**_Sorry this was a bit short. _**

**_Next chapter will be longer, I promise!_**

**_Reviews make my day!_**


	8. Chapter 8

* * *

**_May be different but remember  
Winters warm there you and I  
Kissing whiskey by the fire  
With the snow outside  
And when the summer comes...  
The river swims at midnight shiver cold  
Touch the bottom, you and I  
With muddy toes_**

**_Stay or leave  
I want you not to go  
but you should  
It was good as good, goes  
Stay or leave  
I want you not to go  
but you did_**

**_Wake up naked drinking coffee  
Making plans to change the world  
While the world is changing us  
It was good good love  
You used to laugh under the covers  
Maybe not so often now  
The way I used to laugh with you  
Was loud and hard_**

**_Stay or leave  
I want you not to go  
but you should  
It was good as good goes  
Stay or leave  
I want you not to go  
but you did_**

**_So what to do  
with the rest of the days afternoon  
Hey, isn't it strange how we change everything we did  
Did I do all that I should?  
or that I coulda done_**

**_Remember we used to dance  
And everyone wanted to be you and me  
I want to be too  
what day is this?  
besides the day you left me  
what day is this?  
besides the day you went  
So what to do with the rest of the days afternoon  
Hey, isn't it strange how we change everything we did  
Did I do all that I could?_**

**_Remember we used to dance  
And everyone wanted to be you and me  
I want to be too  
what day is this?  
besides the day you left me  
what day is this?_**

Peter teleported them to Ryan's room, where Nathan sat beside his grandson's bed.

West clamped a hand over his mouth when he saw his son. "Oh, God!"

Nathan rose to greet West, and Peter backed out of the room.

He walked back to his family in the waiting room.

Heidi sipped a cup of coffee, and Simon and Monty sat quietly in the corner.

Peter could hardly believe they were almost eleven years old.

As he approached, Heidi looked up wearily. "Did you find West?"

Peter nodded. "He's with Ryan now."

She sighed heavily. "Someone should let Claire know."

He looked around the crowded waiting room. "Where is she?"

Heidi pointed to a hallway. "The cafeteria. It's down that way."

"I'll get her."

He found her asleep in a chair in the cafeteria, her head drooping to her shoulder.

He stopped to look at her, his heart constricting painfully.

She was so different from the girl he had saved in Odessa all those years ago.

Oh, she was beautiful, that hadn't changed.

But the world had gotten to her, made her cynical and untrusting.

Or maybe he himself had done that.

He hated himself for not being able to stay away.

For not being able to resist that sad little smile, or her open, loving heart.

He had shattered her unfailing trust in him when he left the second time, he knew.

And it broke his heart.

He approached her quietly, and lifted her into his arms.

So tired from the days spent at her son's bedside, she didn't even stir.

Her face rested against his chest gently—over his heart.

He carried her out to the waiting room, receiving curious stares from the people around them.

As he sat down across from Heidi, he gently cradled the love of his life to his chest.

Heidi smiled slightly. "She missed you, Peter."

He nodded. "I know. I missed her too, Heidi."

Across the room, Simon and Monty were standing in front of a diagram of the birth process, pointing and snickering.

Heidi rolled her eyes.

"I'm going to take the Wonder Twins home to get some rest, we've been here all night. Tell Nathan to call if there's any news?"

Peter nodded, and she herded the boys out the door.

Peter sat there with Claire in his arms for almost two hours before she awakened.

But when she did, her reaction was immediate.

Her eyes flashed with anger, and she wriggled free of his arms, standing up shakily.

"What happened?"

"You were exhausted. You fell asleep in the cafeteria, and I carried you here."

She straightened her clothes. "I have to get back to Ryan."

Peter shook his head. "I found West, and he's with him now. Don't worry."

An incredulous look spread across Claire's face.

"Don't worry? For God's sake, Peter. My only child, my flesh and blood is in a hospital room with hundreds of tubes hooked up to him. He's dying, there's nothing anyone can do for him, and you're telling me not to worry? You have no clue…"

Peter held up his hands. "You're right, I don't. I'm sorry, that was the wrong thing to say."

She turned her back to him, and when she turned to face him again, her angry expression had returned.

"You can go now. Back to Mohinder and your work…I know how important those things are to you."

Peter pressed his lips into a thin line. "Ryan is more important."

She scoffed.

"He didn't seem that important to you when you left us eight months ago. You broke his heart."

Peter's jaw tightened. "His heart? Or yours."

She visibly flinched. "Both."

She sighed and turned away. "I need to go check on my son."

He watched her walk away and dropped his head into his hands.

He sat that way until he head footsteps approaching and looked up to find Nathan walking towards him.

Nathan sank down heavily into the chair next to Peter.

"Heidi and the kids went home?"

Peter nodded. "They were tired. She said to call if there was any news."

Nathan nodded, rubbing his eyes.

Peter could tell he was exhausted, but knew there was no use in telling his brother to go home.

Nathan would simply give him the patented Petrelli glare, and tell him to shut up.

"Thanks for finding West. I know it was probably uncomfortable, but Ryan needs his Dad."

Peter nodded. "Claire said something about a divorce agreement. Are they officially…?"

Nathan nodded. "Three months ago. I think West is pretty depressed. Ma has been keeping tabs on him, and apparently he's been drinking a lot. He's still in love with Claire. It was hard when she told him she never felt the same way."

Peter's mouth fell open. "She told him that?"

Nathan frowned. "Yes. She told him she always loved him, but not in the way that he loved her. She loved him because he was there."

Peter rubbed a hand over his face. "No wonder he's so depressed. God, Nathan."

His older brother nodded again.

His next words were spoken so quietly, Peter had to strain to hear them.

"It's always been you, Pete. She knows it, and you know it. It's time to stop this insane game you're playing. Stay, or leave."

"Nathan, I…"

They were interrupted by West bursting into the room.

"He's slipping away. The doctors say that it's time to say goodbye."

Tears poured down West's face as Nathan pulled out his cell phone.

"Go, Pete. I have to call Ma and Heidi."

Peter followed West into Ryan's room, choking back tears of his own.

* * *

At the sight of Claire lying beside her son on the bed, her arms wrapped around him as best she could with the tubes and IV's in the way, Peter couldn't help the tears coursing down his cheeks.

He made his way to the side of the bed, taking one of Ryan's small hands in his.

Claire's tear-stained face turned toward him. "Please. There has to be something you can do. Someone's power you've picked up along the way…I can't lose him, Peter."

Peter's mind whirled.

He wracked his brain for anything he could do.

Suddenly, the face of an elderly man named Norman Watts flashed through his mind.

Norman could heal anything and everything—except himself.

Peter looked at Claire, and nodded once.

Her eyes widened, and she sat up. "You can do something?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Don't get your hopes up too far, though. If your blood didn't work, this might not either."

Claire cast a glance at West, who nodded his consent.

Peter placed a hand to Ryan's forehead, and an orange glow emanated from his fingers.

After a moment, all sorts of monitors that were hooked up to Ryan began to beep, and his eyelids fluttered open.

"Mommy?"

Claire burst into tears. "I'm here, baby."

West rushed to Ryan's bedside, and Peter moved aside to give them space as he wiped his own tears.

Nathan, Heidi and Angela rushed into the room suddenly, and the tears flowed freely.

Feeling emotionally overloaded, Peter stepped out into the hallway, leaning against the wall.

As a group of doctors and nurses hurried into Ryan's room, Claire stepped out into the hall.

Her eyes were full of tears as she moved towards Peter.

"Thank you."

And with that, her lips slammed into his, taking his breath away.

As he wrapped his arms around her waist and deepened the kiss, Nathan's words echoed in his head.

_"Stay, or leave."_

Peter pulled back gently, wiped Claire's tears, and then clutched her tightly to his chest.

Stay.

* * *

**_A/N: _**

**_I'm sorry it took me so long to update._**

**_My boyfriend and I had to put our dog to sleep, and it was emotionally draining. _**

**_I didn't feel much like writing, so I apologize._**

**_So, I'm going to leave this up to you guys._**

**_I could end the story here, or I could continue. _**

**_I'm not sure how many more chapters the story would be, but I have a couple of ideas of where to take it, and what would happen._**

**_So let me know what you all think; Majority Rules._**

**_And one last thing, the lyrics at the beginning of this chapter are from a Dave Matthews song; _**

**_"Stay Or Leave"._**

**_Review, please!_**


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